The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-03-04

one or MS sweetest songs. LisheS story forced
itself upon the minds of the congregation. and
brought smile to the most iignified face The
more careless giggled outright when they
thought OF Lishe's frogs sitting upon the hobs
soleunly blinking at the preacher as he sang.
Both the morning and evening services were
thus interrupted, and the good influence they
were expected to have did not appear. Sister
Barker and Lishe were unable to explain the
cause, and were forced to agree with Brother
Dorsey when he sorrowfuly announced that to
all appearances no good had been accomplished.
Sister Barker did not know the cause, and Lishe
never thought of it.
Carriers Landing could not be made regular
preaching place, Brother Dorsey said, but he
would return in two months and hold a two
Gays meeting" Another neighborhood fifteen
miles above, and dozen families living within
radius OF twenty miles, would join in the
meeting So Sister Barker had something upon
which to found her hope that a church would
finally be established.
The neighborhood took pride in the proposed
meeting, and on the day before the appointed
one nearly every man able to work gathered at
the spot selected to make the necessary prepara-
tons. 1t was near spring at the foot OF the
bluff and heavily tim bered.
They felled trees and cut the trunks in con-
venient lengths for hauling. and rolled them to
snltaoie positions for seats They built pulpit
as they did their cabins, stopping when it
about two feet high and covering it with logs
split in halves and laid with the split side up.
Ihat they might have light for the night sery-
feet square and four feet high, by driving four
forks at the corners and laying into those forks
the trunk of sapling, thus making a support
for other small logs laid at right angles with
them and close enough together to form rude
floor. Upon this they threw a sufficient cover
ing OF earth to prevent the structure from burn
ing They heaped hickory bark and dry twigs
upon the earth and set fire to them.
AS recall this rude bonfire. am aware that
it did not burn with the steadiness of the gas
Jet, nor with the brilliancy of the electric lamp
Yet these never lighted grander temple No
costly cathedral with its marble pillars its
stained glass and its gliding ever looked more
Solemiy beautiful than that forest temple The
ruddy blaze revealed a silver canopy above,
chased with delicacy and beauty beyond the
power Of art, while the massive trunks of the
trees which seemed to support 1t. lowered up
ward with a grandeur chiseled column could
boast.
Brother Dorsey preached three sermons. of an
hour and a half each, on Saturday-at 1890.
3 o'clock in the afternoon, and at ''early candle
lighting" he announced three sermons of equal
length On Sunday. by Rev Aaron Rodgers who
had promised to be present
Sunday was the great day. A general class
meeting" which began at o'clock in the morn
ing, and continued until the hour for preaching,
had aroused an interest which was very encour-
aging Lishe spoke. So eloquen;ly and feel
ingly did he exhort his boon companions, many
of whom were present, to turn from the evil of
their ways and follow the Lord, that Sim Jones
good preacher by maxim fiddler"
Brother Rodgers preached powerful sermon
at the morning hour all agreed At the close
of it. Brother Dorsey to exhort AS he
warmed to his subject, the heat became oppres
sve, and he, according to the custom of the day,
took off his coat.
Immediately thereafter the young men who
had gathered in the rear of the pulpit appeared
highly amused. Their mirthful demonstrations
not only attracted the attention of the concrega
ton, but annoyed Brother Dorsey, and ne
turned to rebuke them The audience in front
of the pulpit became disorderly. Lishe Barker
laughed longer and louder than even the rowdies,
| actually slipping from his seat to the ground
and rolling about, to the great scandal of the
religious portion of the congregation.
The cause was now plainly apparent to all
Brother Dorsey had on pair OF tow-nen
breeches. which, from wear and washing, had
become white. just below the waist band,
printed in bright red color. was rough draw
ing of an immense mouth. 1t extended from
hip to hip. open and filled with rude repre-
sensations of teeth The artist, whoever he may
have been, dad caught the expression of Brother
Dorseys mouth. AS he ges.iculated. raising his
body. first upon one foot and then upon the
other, the drawing was twisted into such ridicu-
lous shapes that the most devout could with diff
fculty restrain their mrth
A word ;rom Brother Rodgers caused Brother
Dorsey to put on his coat and beat hasty re-
/ treat.
The ludcrous effect was but momentary
ton, and they denounced it as wanton insult
to good man. and an attempt to ridicule the
meeting and destroy its influence.
The public mind settled with great unanimty
on Sim Jones as the artist. He had drawn, with
| charcoal, on the blacksmIths shop door, pretty
| fair likeness of Lishe playing the fiddle besides
| he had stood behind the pulpit all the morning,
| near where Brother Dorsey sat and unqueston
| ably had opportunity.
1t soon got to Sims ears At first he rather
| enjoyed the notoriety it gave him, but when he
| found that the best people pronounced it mean
| trick, he became loud i'll his denial and threat
ened to 'thrash the ground" with anyone who
| said he did it.
| Brother Dorsey. who was famed a little by a
! spraned ankle, had ridden to the grounds tina,
morning with Punkin the horse behind him.
On learning this fact Sim. who was anxious te
| clear himself was heard to say that he would
| 'gether that Punkin."
| At the close of the picnic dinner Sim ap
preached Sister Barker and two three other
| women where they were engaged in caring foI
| the remains of the repast, dragging Punkin IN
willingly behind him. Without saying anything
| he exhibited the hands of the boy stained with
red, and turning his pockets inside out showed
| their contents to be pokeberries
You don't mean to say. now. SIM said Sister
Barker. with protest in voice and face that that
poor afflicted boy of mine made that picter on
Brother Dorsey's britches9"
II mean to say" replied Sim, "thas he rid be
hind him. an you kin see fur yerself he he'd the
pokeberries to do it with. Yon'alls is sayin' ]
done it. want to show We didn't"
Come yer. son" said Sister Barker
Guess I'd better bring him to ye," said Sim
30 no. Leggo of him; he'll come to his moth.
| or an git some dinner"
Sim released him. Instantly the boy grabbed
both hands full of eatables from tie nearest
basket and disappeared in the woods.
Poor thing said his mother, tenderly. tive
been afeard of it all the time. He's got the rick
cts on top of ali his other Affections. Dear me
dear me! What Is to become of him? Hit was
Paul. wasn't it, Sister Bruner, who was perse
cutin' the preachers when the Lord knocked the
scales off his eyes an called him to preach? Yes
know it vas Paul If that boy comes bacl
when Lain't yer. give him somethin' more tt